for example, hamas, hezbollah, shia groups in iraq, even the muslim brotherhood in egypt as its political allies in key regional arenas across the middle east. and this yearslong bet by the islamic republic of iran on these groups has paid off, because now their regional allies have become the most influential players in their respective arenas today. the result is that today it is the islamic republic of iran and its ideas of participatory islamist governance and an independent foreign policy that has real influence, real power in countries across the middle east from egypt to baa rape that were -- bahrain that were once clearly in america's camp. in strategic terms, the islamic republic of iran has been and is using through its narrative not its drones, not its tanks, through its narrative they are using the political awakening of middle eastern publics to alter the very nature of power politics in the middle east. as we describe in our book "downing to tehran," this has been an effective foreign policy and national security strategy for the islamic republic of iran, one that is exactly